Warrior
by Millennium65
Summary: Bella is a normal teenage girl with normal teenage problems. Her mom remarried and so she moved in with her dad, Charlie. There's that guy, Mike, that keeps hitting on her, and it's getting really hard to keep herself from punching him. She might be close to failing math. Oh yeah, and she turns into a wolf. Go figure?
1. It's Happening

Chapter 1: It's Happening

I feel like crap.

What the fuck is wrong with me? Pregnant? Hah. NO. Cancer? Doubtful. I don't think a wicked fever, stomach ache and overall muscle soreness are symptoms of cancer. I'm not a doctor so how should I know, but still I'm gonna have to go with one hell of a strong flu. Maybe strep?

"Ahhhh!" The burning heats up all of a sudden. It feels like my insides are on fire and my limbs are stretching. I can't be going through a growth spurt. I'm an 18 year old girl for god's sake. I stopped growing in 7th grade.

"Dad!" I scream. Charlie busts in, very alarmed. "It hurts, Daddy," I whine like a baby. I haven't called my dad that in… well maybe ever. _God, that's pathetic. _But I have zero shits to give at this moment. ZERO.

"Hold on, Bells," my dad says, almost to himself. "I'm going to get you help."

Does he know what's going on with me? Why is he eyeing me like I'm going to jump up and attack him?

Charlie gets on his phone. I hear bits and pieces as I'm fidgeting uncomfortably in my bed and trying not to whimper out loud.

"Sam? Yeah it's happening. She looks really bad. It just came all of a sudden. Well we didn't know if she was going to turn now did we?" he snaps, getting more and more frustrated with the person on the phone. "Yeah, sorry just, get here soon before something happens to her. Will do. Thanks, Sam."

"Dad?"

"Yeah, Bells?" he turns and watches me appraisingly.

"What's happening to me?" I croak out. My throat's dry, and I'm getting dehydrated since I'm sweating bullets. Fuck, I need some water.

His eyes soften at my obvious distress, but before he gets to properly answer me, there's a pounding on the front door. Charlie looks relieved, and he replies, "You're going to be fine, Bella Bear."


	2. Cuntface

**Disclaimer: I don't own Stephenie Meyer's characters. Stephenie Meyer does.**

**Disclaimer #2: There will be (as you have probably noticed) copious amounts of profanity, and I like to keep it fresh. So if this will bother you, don't read. Also, there will be sexual references and/or descriptions. Use discretion.**

**AN: Thank you so much for everyone who has taken an interest in my story. I'm hoping to post several times a week in consolation for the shortness of the chapters. Hope you enjoy!**

Chapter 2: Cuntface

'_Well this is different.'_

'_Yeah, she's gonna be seeing our junk on the regs.'_

'_Oh, great. Now I have perverted voices in my head. I've gone batshit crazy. This isn't happening. There's no place like home. There's no place like home. There's no pl—'_

'_Cut it out Dorothy. We have enough to deal with without having to calm down a pissy little girl like you.'_

'_Paul, that isn't—'_

'_Why don't you shut up, cuntface! I have paws and perverted male voices in my head. I think I'm entitled to a good freak out.' _I yell acidly in my head. If this guys thinks he can push me around like the old Bella, he's in for a rude awakening. I've felt like shit for the past week, and I'm just about ready to punch the first thing that pisses me off, mainly Pauline the misogynist.

One of them makes this sort of wolfy bark-laugh, and I can feel the amusement from the other one. Paul is growling. Growling? Oh right, still a wolf here.

'_How do I change back?'_

'_Uhhh…' _The other one, not the jackass and not the…leader?

'_Alpha.'_

'_Oh, thanks.' _So the one that's not the jackass and not the alpha starts to get uncomfortable.

'_Wait. FUCK. How do I turn this mind thing off?'_

'_Sorry babe you can't.' _Cuntface says. _'So when you can't help but fantasize about me, I'll know it.'_

Fantasizing gave me an idea, a brilliant idea, and I had to turn my thoughts quickly to not give it away. Oooh, chipmunk.

'_What was that?' _Damn they saw a flash. I'm saving this plan for a rainy day, though. I wonder when it will rain. Do we have to wash our wolf coats? I mean people wash their dogs, right? Do we eat in wolf form? Oh hell nawww. I'm not eating whatever wolves eat. There are diseases in raw meat. Plus I would probably faint from the blood before I could kill anything. Wait, why am I a wolf anyway? Is this just a thing that happens?

'_Damn, she's good.'_

'_I know right. Telling off Paul and then diverting her thoughts like that. She's going to be a good wolf.'_

My ears perk up at the praise from my alpha. FUCK. What's wrong with me? I don't even know these people.

'_Bella!' _I flinched at the strength of the alpha's voice. _'We're going to help you phase back to your human form.'_ Now we're talking. I feel his annoyance at my mental commentary and wince, but it's not like I can really help it, can I?

'_Try to think of something you do as a human, something with your hands—driving or writing or eating.'_

'_Oh, cooking. Ok, I can do this.'_

'_Yes, picture yourself chopping and turning on the stove…'_

I think about what I'll make Charlie for dinner. Deciding on lasagna since it takes some preparation, I imagine getting out the boxes of pasta and boiling water, making the layers and pouring in the sauce. Sometime while liberally sprinkling the cheese on top, I realize that I feel wet grass under my hands. Success!


	3. Naked… Eeeeek!

Chapter 3: Naked… Eeeeek!

_HANDS! Fuck yes! _I jump up, beaming at the two giant wolves in the woods with me. Maybe they're still salivating from me imagining food and are thus unprepared for me to phase back so quickly. Whatever the reason, they're staring, and I quickly realize that I don't have any clothes on. Not like "get out Dad I'm naked" with panties and a bra on. I'm talking full exposure. I squeak and try to cover myself with my arms.

"Can you TURN AROUND!" I screech at the wolves, trying to cover my admittedly meager assets. I feel ridiculous yelling at furry (and scary) animals, but I'm way madder than anything.

"Fucking shit. Why didn't you say I would be naked?!"

"That's something a girl likes to know about beforehand," I grumble to myself, quickly getting over my anger as I see two sculpted russet asses transform from the backsides of the wolves, balls out.

"Sorry, Bella," Sam says, "But you would have been too nervous to change had we told you before. I thought it would ease your transition for you to figure it out later."

"Yeah, whatever," I say, averting my eyes while they pull on their cut offs. Ok, I did get a glimpse, and those guys are HUNG! Figures, they're huge everywhere else. But still good to know that wolf enlargement isn't like steroids in that aspect.

Sam tosses a pair of basketball shorts and a tee behind him. "We weren't particularly prepared for this, since we didn't really think you'd phase, and well, I don't have any women's clothes, so I brought these."

"Yeah, thanks. I appreciate it," I run up and grab the shorts and pull the shirt on after. Fuck they're huge. I tie up the shorts so they don't fall off, but I might not even need them, the shirt's so long. They smell good, though, and for some reason, I really like the idea of wearing Sam's clothes. My inner wolf wants me to lie down and rub myself all over them. It's official: I'm going cray.

"You can turn around now."

I see two rather large men walking towards me.

"Hi, I'm Jared," The slightly smaller one says. They're both huge, but the other one, the alpha, no one's as big as him.

I meet the smaller one's eyes and smile at his warm, slightly amused expression. "Hey, Jared. Nice to meet you." Yeah, this must be big fun for them, having a white girl phase. Wait, they're all from the res, right? How am I turning into a wolf, too?

"Bella." The alpha stiffly greets me, but I can't seem to meet his eyes. It's like I feel the power coming off him.

I've never been a very submissive person, well not after… The point is I should easily be able to meet this guy's eyes: stare him down and size him up and all that. I feel his stare willing me to look at him, begging me even. But something in my gut tells me that there's a lot more to this whole eye contact thing than I understand at the moment, and frankly I'm shared shitless.

So I do what I haven't done in what, two years? I wimp out. I settle for the upper part of his deliciously sculpted chest and return, "Sam."

He's quiet for a beat, waiting. He turns with a disappointed sigh and starts walking.

"We better get back to the house."


	4. Jare

Chapter 4: Jare

JARED POV

I feel bad for the guy. I mean, he's been phasing for about four years now. Even Paul, his beta, has only been phasing for just over a year. He's had to do so much on his own—phase for the first time, phase back, run patrols for years, deal with the elders and now us. I don't know how he didn't go crazy that first time. He did pretty well all things considered. He thought he was stuck that way, that he could never get back to his life and in a way he never did. His mom kicked him out for being a "no good deadbeat just like his father," he had to quit school and get a GED because he didn't trust himself around others, he had to give up on going to college and stay here to protect the res.

And now he's sitting with Charlie Swan at his table listening to the girl that could potentially change his life pack some things for her stay on the res. She needs to learn how to control her phasing before she can be around people again, even her father.

Sam perks up, and I hear Bella bump into something and curse upstairs.

"Calm down, dude. She's fine," I whisper to Sam when he starts glowering. No need for him to get all territorial and get the girl's father on his back. He doesn't even know if Bella is his imprint. His wolf just goes crazy over her scent, and since she hasn't looked him in the eye yet…

Bella bounds down the stairs, "Ready?" She looks at me. Fuck she better look at Sam soon or he's gonna kill me.

"Yeah, we'll be running up so you don't have to sit in the car," I tell her.

"Why would I not want to sit in the car?"

Sam speaks up, his deep voice colored with annoyance at her avoidance of him. "So you don't turn into a wolf and kill everyone inside." _Oh joy._

Bella's breath catches and her eyes dart to her father. "All right. We're running." _Damn. Someone who takes this shit as seriously as Sam. Maybe they are imprints._

Sam takes Charlie and Bella's bag in his truck, and we head to the forest.

"So you ready to do this again?"

"Yup," she says, popping the 'p.' She pulls off her shirt and shorts right in front of me and phases. _Woah. Wasn't prepared for that._

I phase and follow her. I strap her clothes to my leg too considering she doesn't have a band yet.

'_Oh yeah, thanks for that.'_

'_No problem.'_

'_So you uh got over the whole no clothes thing,' _I say tentatively, not wanting to get bitched out like last time. She snorts or the wolf equivalent at that last thought.

'_Yeah, well I just thought that considering this whole wolf thing isn't going away, we're all going to have to phase together pretty often.'_

I guess that makes sense. I wonder how Sam will feel about that.

'_Plus, you already got quite the eyeful so what's the point in covering up.'_

I inadvertently think of when Bella phased back earlier. I have an imprint and I love her more than anything else, but I can still objectively say that Bella is a beautiful woman. I can feel Bella getting embarrassed at seeing her naked self through my eyes.

'_Aw thanks Jare,' _she says tauntingly. _'But why don't we focus on that earlier thought of yours.' _She feels my confusion. _'About Sam not liking me phasing in front of the guys. What? Is he a misogynist like Pauline?'_

'_Hell no! That's, that's not exactly why he's uh uncomfortable with it.'_

'_Well then what is it? Because I know he's not a prude himself.'_

Then I get glimpses of Sam's body through Bella's mind and feel her starting to get aroused. _Hah. This is going to be interesting, them living together._

'_Fuck girl. If you want someone to scratch that itch, you know I'm the best around.'_

Bella snaps out of it as Paul phases in. _'No thanks, Cujo. Who knows what diseases manwhores carry these days.'_

'_God I love this chick,' _I say. No one really fights Paul anymore. They just get used to his shit and let him do whatever he wants.

'_Oh yeah?' _Paul says, getting worked up._ 'Miss Princess over here better learn when to keep her mouth shut or someone will have to shut it for her,' _Paul growls and bares his teeth at Bella.

"Get inside," human Sam calls. _Saved by the bell._

**AN: So what do you think? Are Paul and Bella gearing up for a fight? How will Bella and Sam cope with living together? Back to Bella's POV next time.**

**Happy Thanksgiving week, everyone! Save travels and best of luck with your families. **

**FYI: I may be posting Wednesday for all you who might need a reprieve from the holiday cheer/dishes.**


	5. Vampires Nope, they're serious

Chapter 5: Vampires. Nope, they're serious

"Mmm so Bella here has a dirty dirty mind, boss," Paul taunts, looking at me. "And it's mainly directed at—"

"Where's my dad?" I interrupt. It's not like I expect to keep my little lapse in concentration from Sam for long, but there are some things I need explained right now. The longer I can keep them focused, the better.

Sam raises an eyebrow at my obvious change of subject but doesn't comment, "He's at Billy's. We'll get you settled in here and explain a few things before we head to the council meeting."

"Great so I get to see him at the meeting?" I need to find out what my dad knows about this shit.

"No!" He whips around vehemently. "What part of you are a danger to people, do you not understand? You are going to have to wait at least a week or two until you can even be around non-shifters."

"What?! Two weeks! I have school. What am I supposed to do about that? And I want to see my dad." I look at Jared imploringly. I'm starting to freak out about this. Instead of waking up and going to school tomorrow, I'm going to wake up and be a wolf. This isn't going away. This is the rest of my life. What about my friends? College? A guy? I can't believe I'm saying this, but will I be able to have kids? Am I going to die before I even want kids? _Shit don't cry. Suck it up, Bella! _I try really hard not to whimper._ I need my dad!_

"Can't I just talk to him outside or something? I promise to be a safe distance away," I address this to Sam's bare collarbone and try to sound brave and responsible. I'm pretty sure he senses my distress because he seems to soften a bit.

"Yeah. I don't see why that couldn't work. We'll give it a shot, but you'll have to be very careful to not get angry."

"Thank you," I say with feeling. "I can do that." I just really need my dad right now.

"Right, I'll show you the room you'll be staying in." I follow Sam further into the house, and he stops at a door not far off.

It's a small house, but it feels comfy, like a real home. It's all warn sofas and creaky wood floors. I think about the kitchen, and I can imagine myself cooking there while the guys relax in the other room watching sports after their shift. I feel so content here. It feels so… _right_ being here that it scares me.

"This is where you will stay for the time being. If you need anything, I'm just right here," he says, gesturing across the tiny hallway to the door there. My wolf is clawing at me, telling me that _that _room should me mine. It's Sam's room, you stupid dog, not mine. I realize I'm staring at the door, probably looking like a crazy person. _Well, you are kind of crazy if you persist in ignoring the obvious._ The voice in my head tells me. _Shut up, internal self. I've got a lot more obliviousness left in me. _I say back.

I forcibly turn my attention to the other door and open it. My bag's on the bed on top of an old, cool looking quilt. The room is simple and could use some decorating, just like the rest of the house. Maybe I could find some wolf themed—_woah there, Bella. You're not gonna be here long. Get your head screwed on straight. You'll be back at Charlie's before you know it._ Why does that thought disappoint me so much?

"It's nice, thanks," I say in Sam's general direction while bouncing my ass on the bed to test it. "Can you guys explain some things now?"

"Uh, yeah, sure." He sounds distracted by something but gets over it.

We walk into the kitchen and sit at the table with Jared and Paul after Sam pulls the chair out for me. _Woah that's wayy past old school, that's like Medieval. Exaggeration, but still!_

"So. Why doesn't someone tell me what's happening?" _Crickets._

"Alright. Here's a soft one: Why do we turn into wolves? Like, what are we supposed to do?" Jared and Paul look at each other and then at Sam, deciding to defer to the alpha.

"We protect the tribe from the cold ones."

"Cold ones?" I ask, confused. I mean being cold sucks but as someone with previously bad circulation (pre-wolf), I don't think it should be a hanging offense. Obviously, there's something I'm not getting. "What exactly are 'cold ones?'"

Sam sighs like he's had to go through this speech before, and he probably has. "Have you ever heard the Quileute legends, Bella?"

"Uh, yeah. I have." I don't want to get Jake in trouble, but he told me about the legends as a kid, trying to scare me. "It's been a long time, though. I don't really remember that much."

"Well try to remember what you can, because they're all true." _Woah cray. Wasn't there some shit about boats in trees?_ "Our ancestors shared the body of the wolf and the gene got passed down to each generation, triggered when there is a threat that needs to be combatted. Vampires," he says, answering my confused gaze. "We hunt and kill vampires, Bella."

Well that's not what I was expecting. I mean, I guess I shouldn't really be so shocked considering I witnessed myself grow paws and fur an hour or two ago, but _bloody hell_ this stuff exists? Vampires, really?

"Alright. Vampires," I say tentatively like they're gonna burst out laughing and say 'gotcha.' _Pause._ Nope, they're serious. "Why did I phase? To my knowledge, I'm not Quileute."

Now it's their turn to look awkward and perplexed. _Fuck this isn't good. _My breath catches. "Charlie is my real dad, right?" I ask in a disturbingly small voice. They look even more alarmed.

"Yes, Bella. Of course he's your father." Pfh. Thanks for the reassurance, Sam, but how the hell would you know?

"Then how do I have the Quileute wolf gene?"

"That's the thing. We uh we really don't know," Sam says sheepishly.

I sigh. What is happening with my life? "Ok, so the four of us are shape shifters that turn into wolves to protect people from vampires."

"Yeah."

"Get many vampires around here?" I say in a flippant tone.

"Occasionally."

"Hm. Interesting."

"_She's freakishly calm, dude. What if she snaps and goes ape shit on us or something?" _Paul whispers to Jared. I roll my eyes.

"That would hardly be productive now would it? I'm just trying to process, but don't fear, maybe I'll go ape shit on you tomorrow," I say back with a Paul-esk smirk.

**AN: Hope you enjoyed. Happy Thanksgiving, everyone!**


	6. Hasselhoff

Chapter 6: Hasselhoff

So the council meeting was riveting. Note my sarcasm. Of course it was boring! I sat outside (danger, remember) and listened to old men bicker about how it isn't possible for a white person and a girl at that to turn into their most revered tribal secret. Thanks for the vote of confidence. It makes me feel all warm and fuzzy inside, and now I want to save all of your asses from being killed just that much more.

No, of course I'm going to be part of the pack and help protect La Push. I would never hold their crusty views against them like that. I'm just confused and frustrated. _Oh yay! They're done._

I see the pack come out first, all wearing shirts for once. I guess the council considers partial nudity disrespectful, plus they're all men HAHA. A female council might reconsider.

"Can I see my dad now?" I ask the grass. It's getting harder and harder not to look Sam in the eyes. For one, the longer I try to avoid it, the more likely I am to slip up and do it accidentally. But also, I feel this weird pull towards him, and my body _wants_ me to look at him. _Traitor._

"Yes. He's taking my truck and driving Billy home, and we are going to meet him at the Black house. Afterwards I will be driving him back to Forks."

_Forks! Right._ "What about the vampires around here? Do we patrol Forks, too?" I don't want my dad to be in danger. Even though he's sheriff, his gun isn't going to help him against vampires from what I've been told.

"There are still things that you don't understand yet, but yes we can extend our patrols to Forks for the time being."

Jared and Paul spent some time while walking to the meeting telling me about how fast vampires were and hard like granite. It scared me shitless to be honest. Ok so they probably intended to scare me, but Sam didn't contradict what they said, so it must be fucking true. Killing these dickwads better come naturally because I don't know how to fight for shit.

I don't think vampires can die from being cussed out.

But that's a worry for a different time. Right now I need to ask my dad if he's my real father and not get angry or upset at whatever he says. _This is gonna go splendidly._

We walked into the woods, and I took off my running shorts and tank. The girls are going free from now on since there's no way I can deal with carrying a bra around. I'm pretty sure they were all checking me out, but I'm just ignoring it. We're going to have to get used to it sooner or later.

I phase in and hear Paul thinking something about legs before Sam cuts him off mid-thought.

'_Alright, that's enough! Let's get to Billy's.'_

'_Bella.'_

'_Yeah, boss?'_

He sighs. I guess he doesn't like to be called that? But Paul and Jared—

'_Bella! When we get there you will phase back and stay at the tree line. Do not. I repeat. DO NOT move closer to Charlie or anyone else until I tell you to. Got it?'_

'_Yeah. I can do that,' _I reply, getting excited about seeing my dad. Did I just swish my tail?

Paul snorts. _'Yeah, girly. You're practically yipping like a puppy.'_

'_At least I'm not a sad lonely old man like you.'_

'_Sam's older than me kid.' _

My mind stutters for a second. I didn't mean it like that. _'Sam's alpha,' _I say seriously. _'He's the protector of all of us.' _They all mentally halt at my vehemence so I force a teasing tone out, trying to lighten things up. _'Whereas _you, Paul,_ are like David Hasselhoff. You think you're sexy but you're really just kinda creepy.'_

Jared barks out a laugh, comparing pictures of Paul and Hasselhoff in his head. They do actually have a similar smirk. Maybe Pauline can start doing that hand pointing thing that Hoff does. Sam thinks of the gesture in his head.

'_Yeah that one!'_

Paul growls at me and thinks, _'Little bitch. Can't we give her back, boss?'_

Sam starts growling fiercely, and I'm thinking, _'Fucking hell. How many times a day is this shit gonna happen?'_

To avoid any pummeling I say, _'Nope, you're stuck with me. Catch me if you can!' _And I pick up my pace, shooting off towards Billy's.

I think I'm doing pretty well _(damn! I can run fast!) _until I realize I have no idea where to go. I mean, I haven't been to Billy's since I stopped visiting my dad in Forks when I was what 10? Thankfully Sam sends me directions in his head, and I see the break in the trees up ahead that will hopefully drop me off in back of the Black house.

'_Come on, boss. That's cheating!' _

Sam smiles in his head.

I break through the trees. _'I WIN MOTHERFUCKERS! SUCK IT BITCHES! OW OWWWWW'_

They're laughing at me, and even Paul seems to be in a better mood, despite my beating his pancake ass. To be fair, I am running around in a circle chasing my tail. Just can't quite get it…

"Very impressive, Bella Bear," I hear from across the expanse of grass. I freeze and sit back on my wolfy ass. Charlie. "You're a natural.

**AN: Cliff Hanger!**

**Hope everyone is enjoying the story. Reviews/good jokes always appreciated**

**And note that this is finals season for me so sorry in advance for more sporadic posting in the next few weeks. Oh and Happy December! **


	7. Home

Chapter 7: Home

I realize that things just got a lot more serious, and I hesitantly walk back into the trees to change out of sight from my dad. Why didn't he tell me this was a possibility? How did he know to call Sam? Is _he _Quileute? _OMGOSH. _IS HE A WOLF TOO?

I jog out to my dad, but keep my distance. Sam and Jared are phasing back as well, while Paul is staying in wolf form close by in case I wolf out on my dad. I asked Paul to do it. I know he won't hesitate to attack me if it looks like I might hurt Charlie.

"Hi, Dad. It's really good to see you," I say to him, trying hard as fuck to keep from running to him and making him wrap me in one of his big bear hugs. I almost whimper—he looks like home.

"You look good, Bella," he replies. I look down at myself and then back at my dad. No wonder it had felt like I was going through an extremely intensified growth spurt! I'm as tall as my dad now, probably around 5' 11", my arms and legs are muscly, and my shoulders look like a linebackers'… _greatttttt I'm practically a man!_

"Yeah," I snort and say dryly, "Just one of the guys."

Paul's wolf huffs next to me sounding amused. He's probably thinking something insulting about my manliness in his head. Hell, I don't blame him. I must look a fright.

"You're going to make a great wolf," he says gravely. "Your skills manifesting this early is impressive, even for you. How are your reflexes? And your sight? We should have you in a sparring match soon to see what you can—"

"Woah, Dad! I get that having your dau—me turn into a wolf is cool and all but I have some questions. And I _need _answers."

He blinks and focuses his eyes on my face, finally registering my slightly panicked expression. I'm not sure that his attention is really an improvement because the softness in his eyes makes my heart squeeze. "Right, of course. What do you want to know?"

I look away from my dad at, well at anything other than him. I look at the back of Jake's rusty shed that's really a pile of scrap metal waiting to fall over. I look at the neighbor's house a little ways off and imagine what kind of broken family lives there, too. Maybe the dad drinks because he's unemployed. Maybe the mom's too busy for her kids and is never home. Maybe the kids are too wrapped up in their own drama to realize that they have no prospects and will get stuck here until they die. Hell, maybe they know it, and that's why they get up to so much shit.

_Stop being so cynical, Bella. Even if they do have problems like everyone else, they're probably great people. Interesting people. Normal is overrated._

I look behind me until I see Paul's wolf eyes flash in the shade of the trees. I take a few steps back toward him, just in case and sense Sam and Jared just behind me on either side. Deep breaths. I can do this.

"Are you my biological father?" His eyes flick up to mine, and I stare him down. He takes a maddeningly long time to answer.

"No," he whispers.

"And Renée?"

"No"

Th—there, there just don't don't seem to be words. In my head.

I think I'm supposed to be mad, right? Or shocked? Maybe that's it. Maybe I'm in shock and haven't processed it yet. I mean my dad just told me he's not my dad and my mom's not my mom, aren't I supposed to be having some identity crisis? _But you already knew, _that little niggling in the back of my soul tells me. And I think it's right. If I really believed that Charlie was my dad, I wouldn't have been so worried about it the whole time. Only Quileutes turn into wolves, and even if there are other wolves, I doubt they would be able to connect with our pack mind.

"If I'm Quileute, then who are my parents?" The guys seem to perk up at that. What, did they skip genetics day in biology or something? We could be related.

"That's the thing, Bells. We, uh don't know." Seeing the look on my face, he huffs and must be realizing that this is the moment he explains the last 17 years of my life, well 17 and 9 months.

"You were found by a hiker in the woods and taken to the Sheriff's Office." I hear Sam's intake of breath off to my left, but I'm too focused to pay much mind. "I was the young deputy assigned to take care of you while they figured out what happened to your parents and what to do with you. None of us wanted to have to put you into foster care, so we bent the rules a little. You were such an exceptional child, you had every one of the guys at the station wrapped around your tiny little finger." He smiles at me in that way only an adult that has seen you your entire life can do.

"The investigation dragged on and we never found anything that could indicate who your parents were. From your location we initially thought it could be someone Quileute, but no one had gone missing. Tribal law and customs are pretty strict about community and heritage, so we didn't think it was likely they would have let anyone leave a 3 year old out—"

"3? I thought Renée supposedly had be when she was 18… Deputy! You didn't become a deputy right out of high school. It took a few years. But, I thought Renée left Forks after a year or something. Why don't I remember living here?" I choke out.

"Renée and I were… separated, I guess, when we found you. She had been traveling around for a year or two, never really settling in one place, you know how she is. Apparently she was in Forks to say hi to some of her girlfriends and get me to sign the divorce papers. I answered the door carrying a little girl, and she got the idea to start over.

"We ended up formally adopting you. I thought it was our second chance, that she would stay this time to have a family. You were magnetic, Bella. No one could resist you.

"But it didn't work out the way I planned. Renée got too restless, and not even painting the cabinets yellow could keep her here this time." His breathing falters, and he looks so broken. "I should have fought harder for you, and I'm sorry for that. You have no idea how sorry I am. I was such a mess when she told me she was leaving that I believed it. I believed I couldn't raise you myself, so I let her take away the best thing in my life. My Bella," he whispers and gently lifts my chin up. I don't notice him approach me or I would have backed off. _This is too dangerous_, I try to tell myself, _You could kill him. _I look up at my dad through my watery lashes and memorize that strong face, those bushy eyebrows furrowed in concern, that brawny mustache itching to twitch. _I love that face. I could never kill him._

"Daddy," I whine.

"My beautiful little girl," he coos, wiping my tears and bringing me into one of his famous bear hugs. _Home._

**AN: So what do you think? Who are Bella's parents? What happened to them? How did no one on the res recognize the 3 year old girl?**


	8. Named After A Utensil

**AN: Hello all! As warned, this is finals season for me so I'm sorry it's been a while since my last post. However, I've written the next chapter as well and it will be posted on Monday so three cheers for me! I tried to pack this one chock full of goodies so I hope you enjoy**

Chapter 8: Named After A Utensil

"OW! Goddamn fucking shitface! Why don't I slice _your _ass all up and down the West Coast? How would you like that, huh? Not so sharp now are you tough guy!"

"What are you doing?" A deep, amused rumble comes from behind me and I fucking jump like sinner in church.

"Ow!" I rub my head where I just bumped it on the open cabinet above me. This whole half a foot taller thing is taking some getting used to. For the time being it's kind of kicking my ass. The strength too. "Well I _was_ trying to make some eggs but the knife is being a meany-head. Oh great! And now there's blood on the onion! Just fucking perfect." I grumble, "Motherfucking jackass. Imma cut you too."

I can hear Sam laughing under his breath but I'm still pissed so I don't turn around and then he's behind me so I can't. I can feel his heat seep into my back as he towers over me. No matter how gigantic I think I am, Sam can still make me feel small and overpowered and well… like a girl. As much as I would love to say that I'm a strong independent woman (who can turn into a wolf by the way) who doesn't need a man to fulfill her life, my traitorous body loves the feel of him completely surrounding me even more. If I could just have him forever I might be ok.

Wait what? What am I talking about! No. The plan is to graduate, go to college somewhere far away, Texas maybe, and set up a life away from all of these gossiping biddies. I don't need anyone. I've done fine so far on my own and there's no reason to change that.

I drop the knife and scoot over to the sink away from Sam. I need to be careful and keep my distance or else he could change my mind and mess up my plans. My thoughts get so scrambled around him and I hate it. _Or you secretly love it._ Oh fucking shut up, jackass. _You realize that you just called yourself a jackass?_ Yeah I—you're done bitch.

I turn off the sink and look at my finger. Fully healed. It's creeping me out a little that a minute ago I had a huge gash in my thumb, but it's useful so I'm just gonna let it go and be grateful. "I'll cut off the part that I massacred and use the other half since it looks ok. The eggs should be ready when Jared and Paul get back from patrol in 15."

I walk over to where Sam is in front of the cutting board and stare at it until he sighs and moves out of the way. He does that a lot—sigh. Makes you kind of wonder what he's so disappointed about. I resume cutting and turning on the stove until Sam walks out of the kitchen and down the hall, then it's my turn to stop and sigh.

I've been living here for what, five days now? Sam is so attentive and accommodating, making sure I have towels and clean sheets and everything that it makes me feel useless. Aren't big hot men supposed to be arrogant manwhores? Why does Sam have to be so nice? I think part of it might be that he's a little embarrassed about not having a lot of… stuff, things for me to do. Everything here is purely functional and most of it is pretty old, but he doesn't get that I don't mind. I'm not that girl that needs fancy things. Yeah I like decorating to make a space your own and the occasional shopping trip, but I prefer something with history, something nice and sturdy like they don't make as much anymore. I just wish I could repay Sam for having me in his house and helping me with all of the weird wolf shit.

I sigh again and resume cutting, trying to think of things I can do to help. There's not much I can do considering they still won't let me be around people. I guess I could clean up a bit but Sam really doesn't have too much to clean up considering his place is pretty sparse. I mean what else do these guys need? Clothes, food, and a tv or a bed for when they're not on patrol. Being a wolf doesn't really leave much room for hobbies. I don't know how Sam does it having a job and being a wolf considering I'm dead tired all the time just from running patrols. I guess someone has to pay for the masses of food that we eat. Yeah, that's making me feel bad too. Fuck!

I throw the eggs, onion and garlic into the pan, walk down the hall and knock on his door.

"Hey Sam?" I wait for a response… Ok maybe he's more bothered than I realize? I know he knows I can hear him moving around and he's not sleeping. "Can I talk to you? I wanted to run an idea past you."

"Yeah just give me a second. I'll be right out." His deep voice comes out sounding dejected and tired. I'd like to think that I'm not overly self-centered but I can't shake the feeling that I'm causing his pain. Gods that hurts! I just want to go in there and hug him and make it better. But as per usual I don't go in and help Sam. I do what's best for me and pretend I can't tell that my refusal to acknowledge him hurts him. Sitting in the kitchen, I try to buck up and remember that I can help him and the pack in other ways.

"I need things from the store," I blurt out. He just stares at me, somewhat confused at my innocuous demand.

"Make a list and we'll get it next time we go." Sam starts to leave but I can't let him. I'm determined.

"No I mean I would like to go to the store myself." His eyes bore into me making me start babbling like an idiot, hoping he won't flat out say no. "I'm willing to submit to any precautions you feel necessary, but I really want to do this. I'm going to have to practice being out in the world some time. It's not like I can stay here forever." I start at that last bit and my face gets red at the idea of living here with Sam forever. "I mean, not that I wouldn't want to it's very nice and you've been very nice and all but uhh I have my dad to consider and well—"

"Bella!"

"Yes?"

"Alright." I pause, trying to let my brain catch up from my embarrassing rambling going on before.

"Alright?"

"You can go to the store. But there are conditions."

"Really?" I breathe. I didn't think he would actually say yes. "Thank you!" I jump up before I can think about it and slam into his chest, giving him a big squeeze. Gosh he's warm, but can't think about that now, too much planning to do.

"This is perfect! Now I just have to think about what I should make… No cookie sheets? That's going to be a problem. And no muffin trays… We'll have to see about that. At least I know there are a few glass pans. I'll have to remember to get lasagna noodles and maybe I can make a few batches of brownies in one of these. Oh here's a big pot! That would be perfect for some chilly or maybe taco meat. Oooo fajitas, fuck my stomach is grumbling already."

I realize it got pretty quiet during my rummage through Sam's cupboards and I look behind me to see if he left. HAH. Nope. I turn around and see three giant russet men dwarfing the table they're sitting at and practically drooling on. Oh yeah, I can help them all right. As much as I ain't no Martha Stewart, I loving cooking and feeding these boys good food is something I can do for them. Ahh, all is right with the world once again.

—

"Ok, what are the rules?"

"Seriously? Haven't we gone over this a thousand times?" He just stares at me. No I haven't looked him in the eyes yet but I can feel it. _The shit I go through to help these guys and get my life back._ I sigh. "Alright. Keep my head down and only interact with people if they talk to me first. Be in and out in 20 minutes or less. And gods forbid I see someone or something that pisses me off, ignore it and get out right away, no hesitation."

"And?"

"_Aaaand_ don't fight it if you have to restrain me and take me outside."

"Good. Let's go."

Even Sam's major list of rules and the tension I can feel rolling off him don't do anything to diminish my joy at shopping for food. There's something so universal about a grocery store that makes me feel like I'm almost normal again, functioning like a regular person. The store on the res isn't quite as large as the one in Forks but really to be honest the one in Forks isn't that big either. It is Bumfuck Nowhere Named After A Utensil, Washington. Still, I'm almost euphoric pushing my cart down the aisles while grabbing what I need for the week to cook for us. Sam tried to take the cart from me, but I was adamant. It's all part of the experience and I want it to be just like I shopped before… if you can ignore the hulking bronze god walking next to me, but I do my best.

"Who is this here, Bella?" Oh perfect. Jessica fucking Stanley. I tried to be nice to her when I first got here. Well as nice as I could be considering I had just sentenced myself to a year and a half in cloud-covered hell, population not fucking enough. Needless to say, I tried by best to politely ignore her attempts at getting popular by befriending the newbie. It didn't go over so well considering Mike, the guy whose babies Jessica apparently wants to have, took an interest in me too and just about ignored her. She is seriously welcome to him but he still doesn't get the message ergo Jessica hates me. This is going to turn out great.

"Now that you have every guy in Forks wrapped around your little finger, you got bored and moved on to the boys down at the res?" Sam stiffened next to me. I really hope he's just worried about me keeping my cool and doesn't believe what she's saying. Why does she have to go and ruin my perfect day?

"Hi Jessica. Lovely to see you as always." I will not let her bait me. She's not worth losing my cool over and risking exposing our secret.

She fake smiles at me looking more like a grimace and comes up to my side opposite Sam, whispering in my ear, "It's so sad to see the town whore stoop so low as to get it from the res trash."

Bitch that does it! No one talks about my pack like that! I start to growl and go for her but Sam locks his arms around me and pulls me out through the back. I huff and start pacing when he lets me go outside.

"You should have let me at least rip her hair out or something! You heard what she said about you! That cow deserves to learn some manners." My fuming fizzles out after a minute of pacing and I get worried that Sam still hasn't said anything. I grab his arm and really wish I had already looked at him so he could see in my eyes that it's not about him at all. "She's just a jealous harpy, Sam. She thinks I stole this guy from her but I don't even want him. He's a pain in my ass really, fucking puppy dog following me around everywhere." He laughs at that and I find myself rubbing his arm up and down, hoping it's soothing. "The point is that it has nothing to do with you or the rest of the guys. It's me she hates and that thing about the res was just her lashing out at me. No one thinks that about any of you and if they do then I know they're wrong."

Sam sighs and puts his hand over mine on his arm, looking at our intertwined hands. Why does he have to be so much more beautiful than me? He has this rich color and strong body while I'm pale and butch like a man, fuck that hurts my heart. "Bella, I wasn't worried about me. I'm used to knowing what people say about me when they think I can't hear. It comes with the territory and it's something you're going to have to get used to when you go back to school." He squeezes my hand and threads his fingers through mine. "I was concerned about your control and how you would react to… what she called you. You did well, all things considered. Better than Jared after his first few days and _much_ better than Paul after… hell maybe even better than he would do now. That kid has some anger issues. I don't want you to take what she said about you to heart but this isn't the last time you'll hear things you don't like."

I snort. He was worried about me being offended? "Oh I couldn't give half a shit about her calling me a whore, especially considering I know it's expressly untrue."

His hand stills on mine and then grabs it from his arm and starts rubbing circles onto it. "Let's get back in there and buy the groceries so we can cook the boys some food."

"Yes sir!" I mock salute him in a man voice. I'm pretty sure he rolls his eyes but who am I to know. If we end up finishing our shopping trip with my hand still encased in his, neither of us mentions it.

**AN: What do you think? Do you still love me and forgive me for not posting for over a week? Did reading this make you hungry like it did for me writing it haha. Reviews make me happy so spread some holiday cheer!**

**Paul and Bella up next in a fun chapter that continues some interesting questions about Bella's wolf**

**Stay frosty :]**


	9. High ground

Chapter 9: High ground

"What? No! I'm not going to attack you! This is insane. What if I hurt you?"

He snorts. "You aren't going to hurt me babe, trust me."

I stand there with my arms crossed and don't give in. _Goddamn arrogant wolfman. _But for whatever strange reason I do, trust him that is. I know that despite the off-putting jackass attitude, he takes his duty to protect the tribe very seriously. He seems to have a reverence and an acceptance of his wolf that not even Sam can match. While I'm thinking about why this could be, I'm suddenly rammed from the side.

'_OW! FUCK! You fucking bit me you big shit! What was that for?'_

'_Nice phase on the fly there little girl.' _Huh I didn't even notice turning into a wolf. Cray.

'_I'm still not going to fight you, Paul. This is stupid.'_

'_No!' _He snaps._ 'It's not stupid! Stupid is standing there in human form when a vampire is about to attack. Stupid is hesitating to fight. They won't wait for you to get angry enough, Bella. They will kill you before you can blink.' _I can tell he's getting worked up, and I have no idea where it's coming from. It's not like he really cares if I die or not.

He roars and charges at me. I barely get the chance to sidestep out of the way before he's right on top of me. He snaps and I jump, trying to get out of the way, but not before he gets his jaws in me once again. I manage to make it away from him and we're staring at each other from across the small clearing deep in the woods. I'm huffing to catch my breath and getting increasingly pissed off. I know he's riling me up on purpose but _DAMN_ those bites fucking hurt. Just because we heal quickly doesn't mean we don't feel pain. I think I hear him whimper a little at my thoughts and I growl at him, baring my teeth. If he's gonna be the one to bite me in the first place, then he better fucking take it like a man and deal with my pain. If he thinks he's going to get away with hurting me and being forgiven, he's got another thing coming. I'm never getting into that shit again, not ever.

I charge at him fearlessly, blinded by deep-seated rage. I made myself a promise and I intend to keep it. He sees me coming and darts out of the way at the last second so I don't have time to turn and catch him. He doesn't account for me being smaller and more agile, though, and I catch him in the back leg and try to drag him back. He kicks me in the face and I yelp, but I'm not deterred. I run after him snapping at anything in reach but he suddenly stops and butts his head into my side, sending me crashing into the near-by tree. I huff out of my nose and shake it off, knowing I shouldn't keep my eyes from my enemy for a second. Maybe he thinks he can finish me off now because the next thing I know he's rushing me. I don't know where the inspiration comes from, but out of my periphery I see an outcropping of rocks where the hill starts to ascend and I run past him, hoping he follows me. Sure enough, he's right on my tail (hah. punny considering I actually have a tail now) but I stay ahead enough that he can't get his teeth into me. Seeing my destination up ahead, I quickly dive through some foliage, around a few trees and up the back of the rocks. I don't hear him on me so I hope I lost him and I climb up the rocks.

It's actually kinda pretty up here. Huh. My head snaps when I see him lope in from my left, looking and sniffing around for me.

'_It's over, Paul. I have the high ground,' _I smirk in my head and leap. He looks up at me just before I pounce on him and take a big bite into his shoulder. Ah, so satisfying. He yelps and whines as we roll until he is able to shake me off. I take my teeth out of him only to bare them in his face while I put my paws on his chest, forcing him to submit. He concedes and I get off him. It takes me a second to catch my breath and get back to myself. Whoa, that was weird. It's like I checked out for a bit.

'_Shit, Paul! Are you ok?'_ I notice that he's bleeding, but fuck I didn't think I did that much damage.

'_Girl, you are one scary motherfucker.'_

As much as I would normally love that, I'm too confused and worried to appreciate it at the moment. _'I'm serious, Paul! I… I don't know why I did that to you. Shit, I'm so sorry. It's like I wasn't in control.'_ Can you whisper in you head? Because that's what I did, _'I think it was the wolf.' _

'_I'm fine geez it's just a scratch.' _

Holy mother of balls, enough with the macho crap! _'Scratch, huh?' _I nudge his side and his wolf whines while the man in my head shoots off a litany of curses. Oh good gods. _'Phase back.'_

'_What? I don't have any pants, Bella.'_

'_I don't fucking care. Phase. Back!'_

He sighs in exasperation but turns back human. I phase as well and go to help him up.

"You look like shit."

"Yeah well it's your fault," he slings back. I feel a pang of guilt mixed with worried confusion. Am I going to go all Xena Warrior Princess on everyone that attacks me? I didn't want to fight Paul at first but then something in me just snapped. How do I control this shit?

"You asked for it."

He grumbles something like "ungrateful little … help … maim me … pfh family." He doesn't say anything intelligible, so I assume he agrees with me. A fight is what he wanted and a fight is what he got.

"What the… what are you two doing! What's wrong with him?" A furious Sam storms out of his house, looking hella mad and a little uncomfortable. I look down, oh right, no clothes. Now that's awkward.

"I beat up Paul." I can practically hear his surprise and incredulity as he looks at Paul

"Yeah, she whooped my ass," Paul answers to Sam's silent question. He actually sounds kind of proud of me?

"And you're… ok with this?" Sam drawls out questioningly. He doesn't get it either I guess.

"We need to make sure this girl can fight and hold her own. She's definitely on her way to being a great wolf." He sounds like a proud papa bragging to all of the family at Christmas dinner. What the fuck? I thought Paul hated me and people in general, and women in specific. I'm sure Sam is looking at him like he has grown a second head because Paul coughs and looks uncomfortable. "You know, wouldn't want her dragging us down and being the reason we get our asses kicked."

"It sounds like that's not something we're going to have to worry about, now does it? Not with all of the _ass kicking_ that's been going on today." Sam sounds highly amused and yet skeptical at the same time. Hell, I've known Paul for little more than a week and even I know he's being weird. He goes to scratch the back of his neck, a nervous habit I'm guessing, but clenches his teeth and sucks in a sharp breath.

"Come on, let's get inside and I'll take a look at it." I tighten my grip on his waist and pull him into the house. I'm sure Sam could be more helpful, but I need to do this for Paul. I hurt him when he was trying to help me and he didn't even get mad about it, I have to help him.

"Ohf. Stay there."

I come back to Paul sitting on the couch right where I left him and throw some basketball shorts at him. I'm clothed now too and notice that Sam is missing. Probably checking on Jared's patrol or something.

"Here. Sam won't mind." They land on his face and I laugh internally at my perfect aim. He slips them on while trying to be mindful of his upper thigh where I bit him. The bites are looking better but they're still pretty nasty and you can tell that I definitely didn't go easy on him like he did with me. I don't even hurt at all. Once I've cleaned the wounds of dirt and blood I lean in to Paul's shoulder and stick my tongue out.

"Woah woah! What are you doing?" He looks at me with wide eyes like I'm crazy. We both turn into wolves, is it that weird that I would lick him?

"You know I've been looking into the old tribal scribes about the ancient wolves, right?"

"Yeahhh," he drags out. "What does that—"

"I found a sort of medicine book that describes healing procedures and herbal remedies. Frankly it looks like it could be a potion book to me, but there was something useful scribbled in about wolf saliva speeding up healing because of our natural abilities." He lifts an eyebrow at me with his 'are you serious' face. But yes I am serious. "I don't know if it will work on a wolf because you already have your own speed healing, but I thought I could give it a try."

He still looks skeptical but allows me to do what I want.

I hear someone come in while I'm sitting on Paul and licking his shoulder. Uh oh. I turn around and see Sam's whole form shaking with his fists clenched at his sides, barely keeping it together.

"Woah dude! It's not what you think!" Paul rushes out, probably trying to avoid being pummeled a second time today. "Bella wants to see if wolf-shifter spit helps us heal faster like it helps humans."

Sam noticeably calms down when I get off Paul and stand next to the couch. I gesture to the first aid supplies strewn about the coffee table and say, "He's right. I cleaned the wounds out, that I caused might I add, and asked if I could try this out. Paul didn't even really want to but I'm really curious and it could be important for my research about the pack."

I look to Paul for some back-up and gasp. "Fuck yes! That's so cool…" I say reverently.

"What? What is it?" Paul tries to crane his neck around to see but the wound is mostly on his back. Silly puppy.

"It's gone. The bite on your shoulder is gone." So freakin cool. I mean, it was my idea but I never really imagined it would work so fast. I wonder what else I can find in those books. Billy was really nice about helping me get access to some books and scrolls but there are still a few elders that don't trust the pale face. Besides, the stuff I did get to see was often in Quileute and a lot of it was pretty damaged to the point of being illegible, making my grand discoveries few and far between.

"How do we know that it isn't just my wolf healing doing that?"

I patted his left leg hard.

"Ow!"

"That's how we know."

"Fucking … little … pain I go through… Hey! Where are you going?"

"To take a shower. I'm gross. I smell like dirt and _you_," I jab, playing with him. I think Paul and I are going to be something else and I can't wait to figure out what.

"But what about my leg!"

"If you can't reach it, you can always ask Sam to lick it for you," I say innocently. Paul looks at Sam and Sam gives him the lifted-eyebrow crossed-arms combination. Paul fucking deflates like one of those dancing air guys at the car wash.

"Bitches," Paul grumbles and I laugh all the way down the hall.

**AN: Don't you guys feel special? Two awesome chapters and I'm not even home yet.**

**So what did you think? Why did Bella go all wolf-hulk on Paul? What is her research going to uncover? Why is Paul suddenly… dare I say it… **_**nice**_** to Bella? And caring?**

**More goodies to come in a few days. Start getting ready for some new wolves to appear and have you been wondering where all the vampires are? Bella definitely has been.**

**Stay frosty**


	10. BE the cucumber!

Chapter 10: BE the cucumber!

I breathe in and out lavishly, looking out at the huge expanse of ocean and listening to the waves crash on the beach below. This is my favorite part of the day, being by the ocean as a wolf. I know I always hated the omnipresent cover of clouds that characterizes upper Washington, feeling almost claustrophobic from its pervasiveness, but now I've actually grown to accept it. Looking out at the ocean I could never feel confined. Instead I feel oddly content with where I am like maybe I could be happy here being a wolf hanging with the pack living with S—

'_Bella get home now and phase back,' _Sam orders before he's gone. Fuck I hope he didn't hear me… Then again would it be that bad if he did? Would it really kill me to let people know that I enjoy their company? To let _Sam _know that I enjoy his company.

I shove my thoughts about my screwed up individualism out of the way and book it over to Sam's to see what's up. I don't think I've done anything worthy of a lecture or reprimand so that leaves some sort of news. With my luck it will be some terrifying information that will change my life forever. I can't wait.

"Ok," he says definitively like he's answering a question as I walk in the door, except I didn't ask him one.

"Ok?" I draw out with a confused and exasperated face. He pulled me from my cliff for this? I could be trying to sort out any number of issues I have at the moment. My relationship with my dad, who my real parents are, why I was found in the woods, why I don't have any memories that could help, what am I going to do as a wolf, what will my future be, will I ever be able to leave… do I even want to leave? Yeah I have a lot to think about right now. Fuck my life is complicated.

"I'm granting your wish. You can get back to your normal life now."

It's like a slap to the face—wholly unexpected and stings like a bitch. Normal life? Nothing about my life will ever be normal, but I try to understand what Sam's saying. Go back to school and move back to Forks? I thought I had several more days at least before he would even consider it. Why is he kicking me out early? Does Sam not want me? Does he not want to live with me anymore? Of course I knew that he was doing this as an obligation because he's our alpha but I thought we had become… I don't know, friends or something. Now he's making me go back to unintelligible math problems, infuriating gossip and Charlie my sort-of father. Fuck why now? I was just getting into a rhythm here. I was just starting to _like_ it here.

I guess I've been quiet for too long because he sounds unsure, "Bella?"

"Uh, yeah great. Sounds good. Perfect." I'm babbling like an idiot, aren't I? "I'll be glad to see my dad more often," I say truthfully, trying to act like it's no big deal. But really I've been allowing my wolf duties to serve as an excuse for avoiding Charlie for too long. I hope he hasn't been too hurt by my lack of communication.

"Oh," Sam starts uncomfortably and I'm mentally jogged out of my thoughts about how the conversation with my dad will go because Sam seems… disappointed. "Yeah right of course." Geez Sam's starting to sound like me and he's normally pretty economical with his word usage. It's not like I want to leave and he should know that right? I mean he's the one kicking me out, not the other way around! "You will have normal patrols and regular meet ups for training and to determine your progress. Other than that you will be free to do as you wish." Did he just sigh? I think he just sighed. Does that mean he doesn't want me to go? Does he want me to come visit? _Maybe he's just fucking tired Bella from dealing with juvenile overgrown wolves all day long. _I'm not juvenile you butt monkey… _QED. _Oh well meeehhh *mentally sticks tongue out*

"You will be able to start when the res school gets your paperwork that needs to be transferred from Forks."

Oh hold up! I'm snapped out of my mental argument with myself at that little tidbit. "What? Why would I go to the school on the res? It's the middle of the year. I can't just transfer." I respect the hell out of Sam and I love that the man has an awesome cup of coffee ready for me every patrol morning, but I won't go along with everything he says. A new school with new kids and new classes and new teachers. No way Jose. I'm not doing that again_._

"You need to be close to the res in case there are any alarms and this way Paul and Jared can watch out for you."

Now my anxiety has got me fuming. I can't let this happen. I just can't deal with one more fucking surprise in my life right now. "Don't you mean watch me? I'm not going to wolf out on anybody, Sam! I've been doing a lot better with my control lately. I haven't had an issue since the grocery store and even then you said I did a lot better than any of the rest of you had that young." I can tell that he agrees with me considering they were his words but that he's still going to insist in the res school so I go in for the kill. "You wouldn't be letting me go if you thought I would hurt someone."

He sighs and deliberates. I know have to make him understand how important this is to me so I open up and say in a surprisingly small voice, "I need this, Sam. I need to know that I can still function in my old life and that I still have a future."

Something in me burns with discomfort at the thought of a future away from the res and without my wolves but it's still true. I want to prove to myself that I'm not just a furry monster, that I can lead a semi-normal life too. He exhales loudly, letting me know just how much he doesn't want to do this. "Fine. You can go back to Forks." I can't fight back my smile. "BUT," he warns in a hard voice, "you will have to be extremely responsible about this."

"Yeah I—"

"I mean it Bella!" He interrupts and moves to tower over me. I can feel his eyes boring into me as I stare at his bare chest. He might have made me jump a little before but now he continues in a low intense voice. "You have a duty to protect people even if it's from yourself and you have sworn to keep our secret. I'm allowing you this because it's what you asked for but in return you have to be careful for me." His hand reaches out tentatively and rolls the end of my hair between his fingers. "Will you be careful for me, Bella?" he breathes out.

My breath hitches a little. With him so close intoxicating me with his warmth and his scent, entreating me with his deep and frankly sexy voice, there's no way I could deny him anything. I lean a little into his hand that has moved to the side of my face and close my eyes involuntarily. "Yes," I say with conviction, "of course I'll be careful for you."

His thumb caresses my cheek and I nuzzle it like the dog I am, feeling more content than I have in days. My chest just starts to rumble with what I think might be a purr? when the door slams open and Sam and I jump apart. Paul walks in oblivious to his interruption and flops onto the couch. Typical Paul.

"Holy hell I'm hungry! Tell me you have something to eat Bells," he addresses to me and looks over from his lumpy seat.

"Uhhh," I stare dumbly for a minute until Paul raises his eyebrows and starts to look at Sam and me like he might figure something out. I jump in quickly because well if there _is_ something going on, I don't want Paul to figure it out before I even know what it is. "Yeah! I just pulled some coffee cake out of the oven half an hour ago and I've got some skewers marinating for later tonight." I rush over to the kitchen and uncover the dish that I had sitting on the table. "Well come on! Aren't you going to have any?"

With one last look between Sam and me, Paul seems to give up analyzing in favor of eating and I smile at having avoided _that _conversation for now. I haven't been oblivious to the constant tension between us since my phasing but living with Sam has given me a new perspective on the man. He seems to always be there for me with whatever I need, be it my early morning coffee or a friend to watch tv with. It's so hard not to fall in love with Sam since he takes such good care of everyone else but there's no one there to care for him. All I can do is cook for the man… not that he doesn't appreciate it (and needed some good home cooked food) but I feel like it isn't enough. I want to be his rock, protect him and laugh with him, lov—

Woah there! Head in the game Bella. You don't 'L word' Sam. He's a good friend and a strong protector and a cool dude when you can coax him out of being so serious. Who wouldn't care about him? But you can't 'L word' him or anyone. It's not in the cards.

—

"Thanks for driving me all the way to Forks," I say to Paul while still staring out at the depressingly old buildings peaking out from behind the parking lot of kids. Ah, school. A delight to be back.

"No problem, Bells. I wouldn't leave you hanging on your first day of high school as a teen wolf," he responds trying to cheer me up a bit and get me to laugh. I manage a wry smile that probably more closely resembles a grimace. "Really, baby," he says quietly as he gives me a kiss on my hair, "You'll be fine."

I lean into his hug for a second letting him know I appreciate it before I give him a little shove and open the car door.

"Stay safe. Don't do anything I wouldn't do," he calls. I bark out a laugh. Gods if I acted like Paul you _know_ I would be in all kinds of trouble by the end of the day. Probably arrested for fighting and given detention for cussing out a teacher or something.

"See you later bro!" I call and see him smile before I turn toward the school also known as the swirling pit of hormones, immaturity and despair. My plan is to keep my head down and avoid eye contact with people. Maybe that way no one will notice my 6 inch growth spurt or massive bulk-up. Maybe they won't even recognize me! Hey that's a happy thought, except then they would think I was someone new and I know how they treat new people around here. Who am I kidding, I'm being fucking delusional. Of course they're going to notice me and probably talk shit about me. This isn't me being self centered, I just know how fuck-boring it is here and how any news no matter how insignificant is noticed.

As expected, a few people give me weird looks during first period but no one's bold enough to say anything to my face and Mrs. Blanche keeps us occupied enough that nobody has the opportunity to talk amongst themselves. By the time the end of class rolls around, I'm feeling pretty good about getting through class without incident and thinking that maybe I was worried over nothing. But fuck everything comes crashing down like a lobster trap Christmas tree when I walk into second period and see Jessica Stanley. The last time I saw her she called me a whore. Jessica and math… just perfect.

I try to drop my hair in my face and slide into a desk in the back without being noticed but hell, she saw me the second I walked through the door. I will not lose my cool. This time there's no Sam here to keep me from phasing or attacking her and I can't afford any slip ups. I have to be ok with whatever she says about me.

"What does she take steroids or something?" Lauren whispers.

"She must, right? How else could she get so _big_ she's practically a man!" Jessica whispers back. The man thing strikes a nerve but really it's nothing I haven't said about myself. Steroids seems like one of the only reasonable explanations to me. "I bet those freaks from La Push like their women big so she bulked up for them."

Fuck. Keep your cool! You're a cucumber. BE the cucumber!

"Yeah those guys are like scary big. I don't know how she would want to spend time with them. I always cross the street when I see one of those guys coming. I don't want them to like steal my purse or something."

God Lauren's such an idiot. I'm so amused that I forget to be angry for a second until Jessica continues, "They're the worst sort of low lives out there. They drink and smoke and stay on the reservation their entire lives. None of them leave for college like we will to get an actual _job_. They just hang around to fuck easy sluts like Bella that's why they're all poor. They probably have bastard children that they don't know about."

Mr. Hunter starts his notes just then and the bitches can't continue their conversation. They have no idea how lucky they are to be alive right now. I hug my arms tight to my chest in an effort to contain my shaking and try to think of something soothing, like Sam pulling my feet onto his lap during our movie the other night. Having him touch my skin is electrifying like nothing else. I'm the first one out the door and breathe in a nice hefty breath when I'm free and clear from the twin bitches. I expect it to be cleansing but something in the air puts me on edge. Nah I'm probably just imagining it or having residual discomfort from prolonged exposure to parasites.

I can hardly pay attention in my classes because I'm so wound up from listening to people talk about my new appearance and Jessica's rumors flying around that I have a drug dealer/sugar daddy. I don't think she really knows the difference. The heightened senses aren't helping either considering Mr. McGuire really needs to contain his gastro-intestinal issues and I can hear people yelling during dodge ball over in the next wing. I wonder how good Jared is at American Populism…

—

I walk into the cafeteria and instantly smell it. Now I know I wasn't going crazy all day and I don't have an allergy to school. Darn. My nostrils flare and my eyes instinctively flick over to the table in the corner where I see them: five insanely pale models masquerading as high school students. Vampires in the cafeteria. Great.

**AN: Like it? Love it? Hate it? Punch out a quick review!**

**How is the meeting with the Cullens going to go? Will everyone be able to contain themselves during this unexpected encounter?**

**Merry Christmas and as always stay frosty**


	11. Vampires in a Volvo

**AN: This is a reminder to heed the M rating. Enjoy**

Chapter 11: Vampires in a Volvo

Goddamn fucking shitface asshole cunt-loving motherfucker!

Ok ok! Calm down and no matter what _do not_ wolf out! My mind is whirling but also blank at the same time. I'm thinking about so many things at once, analyzing exits and bystanders and attack routes.

My senses went on alert the second I smelled them and instinctively my body knew what they were before my mind could rationalize what I'm seeing. I mean fuck THE CULLENS ARE VAMPIRES... Spoiler alert! Totally didn't see that coming.

"Uhh what's wrong with Bella?" I hear and register in the back of my mind that I'm acting weird but I can't help it. It's taking all I've got to keep from busting out of my skin and killing my albino classmates but I know I can't risk the innocent people in the room—or our secret. I hug my arms tightly around my chest to try to keep the shaking at bay.

"Ukh," Jessica scoffs. "Freak!"

There are five people in this room that are technically dead and I'm the freak? Psh that's high school for you, worship the beautiful rich kids. I guess the Cullens must have heard people commenting about my odd behavior or something because suddenly I have five pairs of black eyes fixated on me. Well shit. Anything covert is out of the question now. I need to find away to keep a confrontation from happening with all of these people around. I won't risk anyone's life and honestly, I'm so confused and shocked that I'd rather fight the Cullens later if I really have to. What are vampires doing in a small town high school anyway? If they're using this as their feeding ground then I'd stay they're pretty stupid vampires. Everyone around here knows the second you decide to dye your hair, not to mention the production people would make if there were killings or bite marks being covered up by out of place scarves.

At the far range of my hearing I hear Edward, the surly depressive one, snort and look amused except none of his siblings said anything but suddenly he's narrowing his eyes and scowling at me like I've insulted him. He was always a little bit of a weirdo and now I guess I know why. Still, it's the most movement I've seen out of the lot of them since they went back to looking at their trays of food and acting like we didn't both notice that our classmates are something other than human.

I collect myself enough to sit at a table in the corner, away enough from people just in case I wolf out but close enough to the Cullens to see if they try to go for any of the students. I'd rather not have a hostage situation on my hands since I don't think I'm exactly qualified for something like that. Shit once this is done maybe I can apply to join the FBI.

Alice looks even more jittery than normal and starts rubbing her temples like I see her do sometimes. Can vampires get migraines? Seeing them acting like their old selves, sitting in the caf pushing their food around like they need to watch their alabaster figures is so familiar to me that I can't help but question killing them in my mind. These are people that I know, granted not very well considering my move and their seclusion, but they're still fellow students and I'm not exactly predisposed to ripping apart people who haven't hurt me. I did freak out on Paul that first time when he goaded me and according to what Jared tells me, I'm doing pretty well in training. I know that if I need to I could give them a run for their considerable money but I just… I feel like I need to give them a chance. Even if they do smell worse than shit.

"Follow us to our house when school lets out," Edward whispers softer than everyone else can hear. "We mean you no harm. We just want to explain ourselves."

I shudder in a breath and instantly regret it when I'm assaulted with putrid stink. Go to the Cullens' secluded house and meet with a bunch of vamps, 5 to 1? Fuck am I really going to be this stupid? Crickets… Yes. Yes I am.

—

I go through my next three periods in a daze and I haven't the foggiest what happened in any of them. Ok that's not true, I do know that I got hit in the head with a birdy while apparently "playing" badminton. I must have been completely out of it to have reverted to my less than coordinated ways. I have a good excuse though considering I was trying to monitor the several different classes that the vampires were in, making sure that none of them left or attacked while I wasn't around.

When we finally get released I practically run into the changing rooms vibrating with tension over what's to come. From taking time to think about our situation, I'm determined to keep my cool and be civil about this while trying to ascertain what they hell they're doing here. I will of course keep my senses sharp and be ready to strike if need be but something tells me that the Cullens aren't like other vampires. They haven't attacked me so far and I'm willing to extend the favor at the moment.

I rush down the halls at the bell and see the Cullens getting into their silver Volvo. I snort in my head. Isn't that so ironic, vampires in a Volvo, as if they needed the extra safety features. Somehow I had imagined vampires as cooler than that.

Edward is scowling at me again from across the car park and Emmett asks him what's got his panties in a bunch. Eddie shakes his head while staring me down and then snaps at his family to get in. Like I said, moody. He pulls out of the lot and I try to inconspicuously slip into the tree line. Easier said than done considering I've become the unofficial talk of the school but I manage to make it look like I'm walking into town before cutting into the woods out of sight. I phase and run along the route I saw the Cullens take. I've never been to their house before but there are only so many roads around town. They have me follow them into the backwoods past most of the residential area and I start to wonder if they're actually just leading me into an ambush. Yeah well if that's the case they can get 'I told you so' written on my tombstone.

Just about at that last thought, I hear the car engine cut off and I see the house through a break in the trees. Holy balls. No cobwebs and coffins for these vamps they've got a fucking Victorian mansion or some shit. I think it's the most beautiful house I've ever seen and it's populated with the not-quite-so-dead. The place is so well kept up and restored that I instantly know one thing—these _people? _might be snobs and wealthy as well but they aren't complete parasites because their love and care shows through in this house. Someone obviously cherishes this place.

"My mother Esme," Edward says to me. I turn and look at him funny. Did I say that out loud? What about his mom? "She likes to restore old buildings, feels like preserving culture and architecture is worth while. I appreciate her efforts considering they give us all a beautiful place to stay in."

So not _that _weird, right? I mean he could have just noticed me staring at the house and inferred my thoughts, right?

Whatever. Focus woman! The teen vamps are out of the car and standing strategically in the drive looking like they're ready to attack at any moment. Hah please if anyone should be nervous it's me. They're on home turf and they practically have me surrounded, that they should feel threated is frankly amusing.

Up until now it looked like Eddie boy was running the show since he was the one that communicated with me but now I think the real players are beginning to emerge. Jasper speaks up from his position leaned up casually next to the car, "Come 'round back and let's get this done."

No nonsense guy with a bit of a twang—my kind of man! I let Edward and his family lead me to their backyard while Jasper follows me with calculating eyes as I walk past. Fuck it goes so much against my instincts to have my back to this obviously deadly fighter (I mean get a load of those scars!) but I control myself because for some stupid reason I feel like I can trust this guy the most out of any of them.

They line up in formation with their backs to the house while I'm facing them with my back to the woods. Even in my heightened state of alert I register how beautiful it is out here, peaceful. Fucking rich vampires, how is it that they get everything while my wolves barely scrape by? A wolfy laugh and shake of my big head startle some of them, perhaps forgetting that I am indeed human. Especially considering the tumultuousness of my life recently, I have begun to appreciate the greater scheme of things. So despite my slight jealousy of their material security, I feel bad for the Cullens standing in front of me because all of their money can't buy them what they really want—humanity.

Eddie clenches his jaw and starts to step forward and I'm instantly on alert. I don't move yet because I'd rather hold the fighting until I get some information first but I'm just barely containing my wolf. They really shouldn't fuck with me just now.

Shit! In a millisecond Jasper is right in front of me. Dude nearly scared the life out of me but I breathe and calm myself. He's testing me and I'm determined to pass. I get my wolf under control and stare calmly at Jasper feeling a little smug. Does he think I'm going to let him provoke me into starting a war? Fat chance, I'm more disciplined than that.

The fucker smirks. He goddamn smirks at me!

"Call Carlisle," he orders to his family while still staring me down. "He will want to be here for this."

—

Ok so a _tiny _bit awkward just silently staring at each other from opposite sides of the yard but what're you gonna do, break out the bop-it? I'm so bored and tired of our staring contest that I'm actually relieved when two more vampires show up. Yes I was that bored.

Like their "children" Carlisle and Esme are both exquisitely beautiful, though slightly older. I'm eager to see how this new addition will affect the power dynamics of the group and I'm not disappointed. Esme hangs back with Alice and gives her a hug while Carlisle strides forward to where Edward is and pats him comforting on the shoulder before addressing me.

"My name is Carlisle but I expect you know that already. It's nice to meet you Bella." I incline my head because well, if we're all going to pretend to play nice then why the hell not. "My family has informed me of the events at school and your recognition of what we are." Come to think of it, how do they know that I know that they're vampires? I mean yeah we smell bad to eat other (Miss Tall and Bitchy made that _very_ clear) but I never actually said 'vampire' did I?

"I expect that you have many questions for us and we would like to help you in any way we can." Yeah I'm sure of that. Would you like to help me kill you if that's what it comes to? "We understand that you are uncomfortable around us in human form and we will accommodate you by having—"

As Carlisle begins to gesture next to him, Edward hisses. _Dude, some respect to your father figure geez!_ _Plus you sound like a cat, very unmanly. _Eddie turns his pissy glare at me once again and it's like dude, wolf here I _definitely_ didn't say anything this time. Thankfully Jasper steps in and puts a restraining hand on Eddie's chest. He gives Carlisle a suspicious nod and Eddie a stern look when the boy tries to move. I can practically feel something brewing.

"We will be able to answer your questions without you turning back into a human because Edward will be able to hear your questions in your head. He has the ability to read minds."

'OH SHIT! Hahahaha! No wonder I got so many death glares from Eddie! I mean I thought it had been from not having gotten laid in centuries but…' More squinty eyes and even a bit of a growl. 'Oh fuck shut up Bella. You're just digging yourself a bigger hole. Lalalalalalalalalalala—'

"Bella what would you like to know?" Carlisle asks me and looks to Edward, then it hits me. _'The leader did not show his age through his face and body but that he has known the world is undoubted. His translator was as boyish as his looks and nearly broke apart our tentative accord with his rash foolishness.' _FUCK are you kidding me? No way.

They all gasp when Edward voices my thoughts, "Yes we are the same vampires that agreed to the treaty with the Quileute people many years ago. We do not age. She wants to know why we returned to Forks, Carlisle."

"The weather suits our needs and we already have a house here," Carlisle answers. Hey! I mean this might be a gossipy backwater town in the middle of bumfuck nowhere but it's my backwater town. The cliffs, woods and mountains are beautiful and this place deserves more than a 'it was convenient.'

Wait… Fucking shit they don't age? So they like, exist _forever?_ Catalog it and let it go dude. I breathe and get down to business. Eddie isn't the person I would prefer dealing with but I'll take what I can get.

'Are you still on a non-human diet?'

"Yes, we only hunt animals not humans."

'Why the fuck are you in high school?'

Eddie rolls his eyes, presumably at my language but returns, "We try to adopt human norms in order to avoid detection and starting in high school allows us to remain in each place for longer amounts of time."

As many things as have been cleared up, I have triple the amount of new questions. 'I would like to temporarily reaffirm the terms of the last treaty until I can confer with my pack and possibly return with additional questions about your family and other vampires. Is this acceptable to you?'

Edward relates my proposition to the group and Carlisle agrees, "We would be happy to continue a respectful relationship between our family and the Quileutes."

Then Esme who had previously been silent the entire exchange pops her head out from behind Carlisle and adds with a smile, "Feel free to stop by at any time. We would love to have you."

She has really channeled the 50s mom with her perfect floral dress and sunny demeanor but despite the affront to feminism I appreciate the warmth nonetheless. Carlisle smiles at me, no doubt thinking that he has placated a raving beast, and even condescends to stick his hand out for a formal shake to seal the deal. As he approaches me slowly for a vampire in order to seem unthreatening, I hear a ripping sound from the right in the trees.

Ooops I guess I should have let Paul know that I didn't need a ride after school.

**AN: What did you think? Surprised that Eddie could take so many insults? Lol I had fun with some of those. Like having a calm and in charge Jasper? What will happen when you add a fear and rage-blinded wolf to a pot of seven cagey vampires?**

**Non-Bella POV next time!**

**Happy 2014 and don't forget to stay frosty**


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